What’s behind all those fabulously lurid 1960s romance novel covers showing a beautiful, made-up young woman in her nightie, fleeing a dark, sinister house in the middle of nowhere? Not what you might expect, according to Lizza Aiken, daughter of celebrated writer Joan Aiken, whose own book covers bore testament to the trend.

Orion crime novelist Becky Masterman read CAPE FEAR as she thought about the novel she herself wanted to write. As well as a whole new experience of that darkest of emotions, she discovered in it a potentially life-enhancing message.

Some of the greatest films ever made started out life as books – sometimes bestsellers, sometimes obscure gems given a new sparkle. The Murder Room’s Deborah Valentine, author and screenwriter, picks out some of the more memorable and interesting of the noir and thriller titles that have found success on the big screen.

Murder Room author Deborah Valentine uncovers what might look like a ‘cosy crime’ writer for the acute, uncompromising reader of human nature she was, even anticipating the chill delights of Scandi Noir long before it made its groundbreaking appearance. In many ways, Margaret Yorke was a woman, and a crime writer, ahead of her time.

Writer Mason Cross was pleasantly surprised when, years after seeing the film PSYCHO, he found the book just as enjoyable. And that Hitchcock hadn’t played fast and loose with Bloch’s incredible thriller . . .